


Burnt Eggs

by KariahBengalii



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Tower, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Comfort, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Possibly Pre-Slash, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sassy FRIDAY, Stark Tower, Tony Stark Can't Cook, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:35:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24598384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KariahBengalii/pseuds/KariahBengalii
Summary: “Scrambled eggs are still eggs, okay? And the main difference between eggs and brains is that brains are remarkably resilient."
Relationships: Friday & Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Burnt Eggs

Tony slowly became aware that something was wrong.

“Friday? What’s this? What are you doing?” he asked, annoyed, poking at the buttons on the screen that weren’t obeying him.

“I’m sorry, boss, but it’s time you take a break and eat something,” she said apologetically.

Tony sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Betrayal!” he hissed at the ceiling in mock anger.

“As you well know, my protocols have been established by Ms. Potts and Colonel Rhodes with your input,” she responded, turning the screens off, lifting the heavy metal covers from the windows to let in natural light, and unlocking the lab door, a bright green animated unlock symbol appearing on a screen next to it.

Tony sighed. “Sassy,” he muttered. “Who programmed you?”

“That would be you, boss,” Friday said, voice colored with amusement.

Tony stood and stretched, making his way out of the lab and into the elevator Friday had waiting for him, letting her lock up behind him.

The elevator began making its way upward and Tony asked, “What time is it?”

“It is 6:38 am, boss,” Friday responded just as the doors to the Avengers common area opened. 

For a moment Tony was surprised there weren’t more people around. Steve, for one, always got up inhumanly early, and would often make breakfast - dinner, for Tony - before he headed down to the gym and Tony headed up to his bed. “Fri, where is everybody?”

“Mr. Rogers, Ms. Romanoff, Mr. Wilson, Vision, and Ms. Maximoff are on a mission,” she responded breezily. “Dr. Banner is volunteering in Cambodia, Mr. Barton is on leave with his family, and Thor is not currently on Earth.” She paused for an unnecessary breath before continuing, “Sergeant Barnes is in the kitchen.”

Tony stopped dead as he just about walked into the man in question. “Yes, Friday, I see that. Maybe start with the people that are  _ in _ the building next time.” Then he turned to the super soldier sitting all mopey-like at the kitchen counter. “Hey Buckaroo,” he said, “how’s life?”

As a response, he got a soft grunt of acknowledgment. 

He paused halfway through digging through the cupboards for a frying pan. “You okay?” he asked, looking up in concern. He actually looked at the other man, seeing exhaustion in every line of his body. Bucky was hunched over, hair hanging in front of his face, eyes staring unseeing at the counter. 

“Rough night?” Tony asked sympathetically. “Want some breakfast? Can’t promise it’ll be any good. I don’t really cook. Steve normally is the one that does that. I may have been known to burn eggs,” he made a slightly disgruntled face and continued looking for a frying pan. 

“I don’t know who I am. Steve wants me to remember, but every time I try I remember what happened after. I don’t want to remember that, so I stop trying.”

Tony looked up. Bucky was still staring at the counter.

“But then I just keep remembering what I remembered. I remember - I remember what I did. What they made me do. I don’t - I don’t want to remember.”

“So don’t,” Tony said, finally finding a frying pan. “Find hobbies, live your life. Move on. Stop looking for answers.” He turned and began digging through the fridge. “No one’ll blame you for that.”

“I will. Most of the people I killed - they’re not even officially murders. If I don’t remember them, who will?”

“Hey, hey. Barnes. Look at me,” Tony said, moving back to the kitchen counter so he could look across it at the mopey ex-assassin.

Bucky tilted his head up to meet Tony’s eyes.

“Hands,” Tony said, “give me your hands.”

Bucky did so cautiously.

Tony grabbed his hands and lifted them up, bracing both of their elbows on the counter. He stood on his tiptoes and leaned over, supporting himself mostly on his ribcage - which, wow, hurt - resting his cheek against one set of their clasped hands and stroking his thumb over the back of Bucky’s other hand.

“Scrambled eggs are still eggs, okay?” Tony asked earnestly. “You get what I’m saying here? And the main difference between eggs and brains is that brains are remarkably resilient. Like a Rubik’s cube that can put itself back together.”

He paused, frowned. “Anyway, point is, you’ll get there. Relax and give yourself some time to heal, to sort through what you do remember and establish a timeline. The rest will come. Also, you don’t need to get better for anyone else or on anyone else’s schedule. This is the first time you get agency in how many years, don’t throw it away to live under someone else’s timeline or expectations. Okay?” 

He paused again, this time to give Bucky a few moments to process. “You’re the one making decisions here. And I’m sure that that’s hard, after so long of not making them, so I’ll make it easier on you, for this first one.” Tony withdrew a bit - ow, ribs, wow, he was not getting any younger - so he was standing flat-footed on the ground again. “Do you want eggs and toast or pancakes for breakfast?”

Bucky paused for a moment. “I’ll try some of your burnt eggs,” he said with a hesitant smile.

**Author's Note:**

> just a short fic because you KNOW Tony gives the best inspirational speeches in existence


End file.
